depressing pet store rant...
Sep. 22nd, 2005 01:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
summer_jackelcrossposted to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
parrot_lovers.
Ok, so I went to downtown Santa Rosa (CA) today to get my new truck smogged (more on that later, but suffice to say that it is a Toyota 4runner, holds 3 people and their bikes and backpacks, five dogs, the dogsled, the scooter and the boat, though probably not simultaniously, and is better on gas than my VW bus such that I don't have TOO much eco-guilt...). While I was waiting, Pryde and I visited the 'Super Pets' chain (?) petstore next door.
I was dismayed.
I was pretty surprised to see them selling purebred puppies of unknown origin from tiny kennels; I haven't seen pups *sold* at pet stores in CA since I was a kid, and I was under the impression that doing so had been made illegal here. Gotta go look at the relevant statutes, I guess. They were selling at prices significantly higher than one could find a comperable pup in the papers from a local breeder if one spent some time doing it, but that is no guarantee against either impulse buying or vouchsafeing that they did not come from some awful puppy mill somewhere. Which they most likely did.
Equally upsetting if not moreso were the 'budgie kits' they were selling, which consisted of the bird, a cage, some food and a toy. The cage was literally 1 foot square and barely more than that tall, far too small even for a tiny bird and smaller than the 'budgie cage' I use as a carrier for my cockatiel and senegal (and would never house a budgie in). They had two of these 'kits' set up, each containing a small, cheap toy and a rather quiet-looking, hunched-over budgeriar. With a cup of seed, of course; do any pet stores besides the one![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
illucian works at actually feed the birds appropriately? No suggesting that anyone was going to educate potential bird owners about the needs of these little guys, which includes not being housed in that cage. :P
It was hard even to get Pryde some doggie treats at the place. I doubt that there's anything I could do about the situation, but denizens of CA, don't shop at Super Pets.
parrot_lovers. Ok, so I went to downtown Santa Rosa (CA) today to get my new truck smogged (more on that later, but suffice to say that it is a Toyota 4runner, holds 3 people and their bikes and backpacks, five dogs, the dogsled, the scooter and the boat, though probably not simultaniously, and is better on gas than my VW bus such that I don't have TOO much eco-guilt...). While I was waiting, Pryde and I visited the 'Super Pets' chain (?) petstore next door.
I was dismayed.
I was pretty surprised to see them selling purebred puppies of unknown origin from tiny kennels; I haven't seen pups *sold* at pet stores in CA since I was a kid, and I was under the impression that doing so had been made illegal here. Gotta go look at the relevant statutes, I guess. They were selling at prices significantly higher than one could find a comperable pup in the papers from a local breeder if one spent some time doing it, but that is no guarantee against either impulse buying or vouchsafeing that they did not come from some awful puppy mill somewhere. Which they most likely did.
Equally upsetting if not moreso were the 'budgie kits' they were selling, which consisted of the bird, a cage, some food and a toy. The cage was literally 1 foot square and barely more than that tall, far too small even for a tiny bird and smaller than the 'budgie cage' I use as a carrier for my cockatiel and senegal (and would never house a budgie in). They had two of these 'kits' set up, each containing a small, cheap toy and a rather quiet-looking, hunched-over budgeriar. With a cup of seed, of course; do any pet stores besides the one
illucian works at actually feed the birds appropriately? No suggesting that anyone was going to educate potential bird owners about the needs of these little guys, which includes not being housed in that cage. :PIt was hard even to get Pryde some doggie treats at the place. I doubt that there's anything I could do about the situation, but denizens of CA, don't shop at Super Pets.
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no subject
Date: 2005-09-22 11:32 pm (UTC)Chain stores, especially big ones make their profit on the concept of high volume and minimal outlay of cash for what they sell- and that attitude carries over to live animals as well.
The people they hire are hired because they will apply- not because they know anything about caring for animals, or can give intelligent answers to care questions.
Selling puppies at pet shops in CA is indeed stilllegal- though I think they have to have some paperwork that proves the animals were not just puppy mill produce.
(And I could easily be very wrong on that as I have not confirmed it.)
Many states have laws requiring veterenarian issud health certificates to legally sell puppies; but most of those laws also have loopholes, and pet shop owners generally know every single one and use them ruthlessly.
Best advice I can give is to adopt from shelters, or if you want a specific breed, get to know a breeder for some months befoe you buy so you know they are legit. That will also assure the breeder that you are serious about taking care of the puppy they sell you.
I've worked in pet shops, and I'm happy to say all the ones I worked in would not sell puppies or kittens; and were really big on making sure new hires knew how to give good advice on taking care of what they did sell.
(I was the ferret master at the one in Tucson- none of the other employees liked handling the little darlngs; and I adored taking care of them.)
I would put one in the pouch of my apron and carry him or her around for an hour or two as socialisation while I worked- stealing a few moments here and there to play with them.
My ferrets were happy and friendly, and I sold more of them than anyone else working there as a result.
But it was also a family run shop.
-Badger-
no subject
Date: 2005-09-23 02:37 am (UTC)Oh, I can tell you horror stories on this. Our local chain store feeds guinea pigs rabbit food even though it's poison to them. They know NOTHING about guinea pigs care, behavior, or the fact that they PURR WHEN PETTED! That last one really upset me because it meant that they never socialized with them.
This store also donates space for a local cat rescue group to display a few cats. When I was filling out the paperwork to adopt one, the manager tried to tell me she wouldn't forward my paperwork because I was pregnant and cats give unborn babies cancer.